How to get to next level with sharpening

[pastormarty]

I sharpen my own knives and am only fair at it. I currently have Norton Crysalon and DMT diamond bench stones, a Lansky, a Spyderco Sharpmaker (diamond all the way to UF rods) and an old Crock Stick. If I wanted to add stropping to the mix, what do I need and where is the best place to get it?

 

[Shotgun]

I'm currently using the bark river double sided strop and black and green compounds. I bought them from knives ship free.

 

[freedoom]

I can also recommend the knives ship free strop. keeps my edges nice and sharp when i hit the right angle.

 

[wroughndt]

I went and bought 5 kinds of polishing compound at the hardware store for $11. Then I went to the second hand store and bought a leather belt for $2. Then I watched a bunch of videos on YouTube to make sure I knew what to do. Then I stropped the hell out of my knives and haven't looked back. It's really easy, really cheap and really makes a difference. Good luck buddy!

 

[BePrepared]

Work Sharp?

 

[brets-ftw]

Work Sharp?

I don't think work sharp has a leather strop belt. Or have high enough grits to get the same effect

 

[BePrepared]

3000 grit seems to polish my edges to a mirror finish... will leather strop polish better than a 3000 grit belt with jewelers polish?

I genuinely don't know. Not trying to be argumentative.

I know that i can take a knife with a totally blunt edge and put a hair popping, mirror finished convex edge on it in about 10 minutes

 

[Magnaminous_G]

KnivesPlus strop blok

 

[brets-ftw]

Without proper stropping compound on leather its kind of un known but BRKT black is ~3k grit, green ~5k grit. Those who use a straight razor generally take it up to 12k grit. Or start breaking into .5 Micron pastes